Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Eade
I can’t agree that a ‘Transit-Oriented’ candidate can run on a platform of increasing the amount paid for public transit.
There are two reasons that I don’t think it would fly, right now: - The first is the ‘Affordability Issue’. Although I think that many in Ottawa could afford to pay a bit more taxes, I think that there has been so much media attention on the politics of how EVERYONE is struggling with the EXTREME high costs of EVERYTHING, that any proposed extra levy will be summarily rejected. Whether it is true or not, when the media keeps telling people, over and over, that NOTHING is AFFORDABLE, people start to believe it. (Although I can still go to the store and buy $0.69/lb bananas.) There has definitely been a trend towards politicians doing little but sowing the seeds of discontent.
- And, second, the general public in Ottawa has the opinion that the entire transit system is irreparably broken – so increasing the money that flows toward it is simply throwing good money after bad. And this is the belief of both people who ride (or used to ride) public transit, and those who never have, but ‘hear’ how bad it is.
Thus, I fear that any candidate that puts forth the idea of spending more on transit will be dismissed by the majority from a valid option. |
I'm not sure I agree with your basic premise. Last I saw, the average Canadian spends somewhere around $1300 per month to have a car. That's a lot of money to spend to move around. Ottawa by and large forces car ownership on most people given the city's car-centric design coupled with a lack of viable alternative that includes transit. Call it crazy but to me, that's a mobility tax.
Try going a year without a car in this city. You'll see pretty quickly that it's a requirement if you want to have a decent life. I think any candidate that takes affordability seriously has to factor in the insane amount that's spent moving people by car.
Threaded Mode